Cycle control



J. J. SMITH CYCLE CONTROL July 25, 1961 Filed April 21, 1958 2Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR J. J. SMITH CYCLE CONTROL July 25, 1961 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 21, 1958 INVENTOR M- United States Patent Oland Filed Apr. 21, 1958, Ser. No. 729,901 3 Claims. (Cl. 200-38) Thisinvention relates to a cycle control for automatic washing machines andthe like.

In the present cycle control arrangements, it is the practice to have aplurality of control cams mounted on a spindle and driven by asynchronous motor. One of the control cams normally operates a switchwhich energizes the synchronous motor to start the control through itscycle. In order to move that particular cam to its switch closingposition, a lever or the like is operated manually.

The rotation of the main switch operating cam carries with it therotation of the rest of the cams on the spindle. If the degree ofrotation effected by the operator is precise, the length of cycle whicheach operates will be uniform. On the other hand, as more frequentlyhappens, the manual rotation normally overrides the starting switch byvarying amounts so that each cycle of operation is of a differentduration from the others.

The present invention is designed to eliminate the disadvantages of theprior constructions. In accordance with the present invention,.lostmotion means is provided between the manually operable member and thespindle upon which the control cams are mounted. The device is arrangedto drive the starting switch operating cam directly through the lostmotion angle in order to start the operation of the control withoutrotating the remaining control cams. Through this arrangement, everycycle of operation is precisely the same as the previous cycle.

It is an object of the invention to provide a cycle control device forautomatic washing machines and the like in which identical cycles ofoperation are assured.

It is another object of the invention to provide a cycle control inwhich lost motion means are provided between the manually operablemember and the cycle control cams.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide a cycle controlhaving lost motion means as described above with means for restoring thelost motion mechanism to its starting position at the conclusion of eachcycle.

These and other objects of the invention Will become more readilyapparent from the following detailed description of the invention takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective view of the inventlon;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a cross sectional view taken along lines 33 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a cross sectional view taken along lines 4-4 of FIGURE 2.

The control device consists of two frame members and 12 between whichthe control earns 14, 16, 18 and 20 are supported. A small synchronousmotor 22 connected through suitable gearing located in a gear box 24 toa spindle 26 is mounted on frame plate 10 by screws 28. Small gear 30extends from the gear box 24 and engages a gear 32 fixed to the spindle26.

The control cams 14 to 20 are fixed to the spindle 26 and are spacedapart by bushings 34.

Fixed at the end of the spindle 26 remote from the gear drive is a lostmotion plate 36 having a slot 38 (FIGURES 1 and 4) engageable by a pin40 fixed on "ice starting switch cam. The starting switch cam 42 is r'otatably mounted with respect to the spindle 26 is carried with thespindle 26 only through the lost motion connection 38-40. Also fixed tothe starting switch cam 42 is a leaf spring abutment 44 and a rigidabutment 46.

Cooperating with the starting switch cam 42 is an operating member 48slidably mounted by pins 50 to the frame plate. Slots 52 and 54 in theoperating member 48 permit the operating member to slide relatively tothe plate 12. A spring 56 held by a screw 57 acting agalnst a pin 59 andbushing 58 atone end urges the operating member 48 to the position shownin FIGURES 2 and 4 through its engagement with a hole 60 in operatingmember.

The operating member 48 has a start projection 62 which is engageablewith the edge 64 of the leaf spring 44 to rotate the cam 42. As shown inFIGURE 2, the leaf spring 44 projects away from the surface of the cam42 in order to permit its engagement by projection 62.

The operating member 48 also carries a projection 66 which cooperateswith the abutment 46 fixed on the cam 42. The projection 66 is in thecircular path of abutment 46 when the operating member 48 is in itsnormal position as shown in FIGURES 2 and 4. In operation of thestarting switch cam 42, the operating member is manually pushed slidablyagainst the resistance of the spring 56. During this movement, theprojection 62 engages the edge 64 of leaf spring 44 to rotate the cam 42through the lost motion angle, that is, the angle of the slot 38 in thelost motion plate 36. When the operating member 48 moves this distance,projection 66 moves out of the way 'of abutment 46 to permit the cam 48to rotate.

When the operating member 42 moves through the lost motion angle, a camfollower 68 connected to the motor operating switch is pivoted, causingthe energization of motor 22 to drive the spindle 26. The pivoting ofthe cam follower 68 is permitted by the dip 70 in the contour of the camsurface 42 out of which the cam follower 68 rides when the cam 42 isrotated. A shallower dip 72 is provided in the cam 42 to prevent theinadvertent return of the cam 42 when the operating lever is released.The abutment 46 will, of course, be rotated the angular distance of thelost motion which will dispose the abutment in the path of the returnstroke of the projection 66. Accordingly, on return of the operatingmember 48, the member 66 engages the projection 46 and frictionallyholds the member 46 and the cam 42 against rotation.

When the lost motion slot 38 is driven a sufiicient distance toengagepin 40, the slot 38 through its engagement with pin 40 begins the rotarymovement of the cam 42, drawing aboutment 46 away from the projection66. Thus, the cam 42 is returned to its starting position with respectto the lost motion plate 36.

As the plate 36 continues to drive the cam 42 through the cycle, theleaf spring 44 will pass under the projection 62, the resiliency of theleaf spring permitting the cam 42 to move through the complete cyclewithout interference. The cycle is completed immediately after the leafspring 44 passes under the projection 62 leaving the cam 42 disposedwith respect to the operating member 48 for operation of a new cycle.

The control device has application in many home appliances such as dishwashers, clothes washing machines, clothes dryers and the like.Obviously, the control device will have application in otherarrangements in which a program switch controls a series of operationsin a cycle. For this reason, the arrangement of the earns 14, 1:6, 18and 20 is illustrative only. As indicated above, these cams are fixed tothe spindle 26 driven by the motor 28 to rotate with the spindle througha complete cycle. Each cam cooperates with a particular follower 74pivotally mounted on a pin 76 and spaced from each other and from theframe members and 12 by bushings 78. The followers 74 engage buttons 80on micro-switches 82 which are electrically connected to the particularcircuits operated by the control device. For example, in a dish washingmachine, the micro-switches could be connected to the soap dispenser,the water inlet, the heating element, and the drain valve.

In a general manner, while there has been disclosed in the abovedescription, what is deemed to be the most practical and eificientembodiment of the invention, it should be well understood that theinvention is not limited to such embodiment as there might be changesmade in the arrangement, disposition and form of the parts withoutdeparting from the principle of the present invention as comprehendedwithin the scope of the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. In a rotary cycle control for automatic appliances a startingarrangement comprising, a frame, a spindle rotatably mounted in saidframe, start cam means rotatably mounted on said spindle, a disk fixedto said spindle, lost motion means connecting said cam means to saiddisk, a start switch operable upon rotation of said start cam, a manualst-art member slidably mounted in said frame adjacent said cam means, alea-f spring fixed at one end to said cam, means at the other end ofsaid spring projecting away from said cam to form an abutment engageableby said start member.

2. A cycle control for automatic appliances comprising, a frame, aspindle journaled in said frame, a motor mounted on said frame fordriving said spindle, a plurality of control cams fixed to said spindle,switches mounted on said frame and operably engaging said cams, astarting switch cam rotatably mounted on said spindle, lost motion meansconnecting said starting switch cam to said spindle for rotationtherewith, operating means engageable with said starting switch cam forrotating said starting switch cam with respect to said spindle foroperating said starting switch without rotating said spindle, and a leafspring abutment fixed to said starting switch cam and engageable by saidoperating member, said leaf spring being depressible by said operatingmember to permit said switch operating cam to pass said operating memberto complete a full cycle.

3. A cycle control for automatic appliances comprising, a frame, aspindle journaled in said frame, a motor mounted on said frame fordriving said spindle, a plurality of control cams fixed to said spindle,switches mounted on said frame and operably engaging said cams, astarting switch cam rotatably mounted on said spindle, lost motion meansconnecting said starting switch camto said spindle for rotationtherewith, operating means engageable with said starting switch cam forrotating said starting switch cam with respect to said spindle foroperating said starting switch without rotating said spindle, andcooperating abutments fixed respectively to said operating member andsaid switch operating cam, said abutments being angularly disposed toengage prior to the completion of a cycle to restrain angular movementof said switch operating cam through the angle of said lost motionmeans, said abutment on said operating member being movable out of thepath of said cam abutment upon operation of said operating member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,491,223 Casner Apr. 22, 1924 2,202,149 Gottlieb May 28, 1940 2,309,915Mulock Feb. 2, 1943 2,536,256 Berg Jan. 2, 1951 2,566,014 Archbold Aug.28, 1951

